Eddie Osborne

Eddie Osborne was a Newark, New Jersey, community leader. Reports of his death gave his age as 63 but did not publish his date or place of birth or details of his upbringing and education.

Osborne worked for the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) from 1989 to 2022 and rose to become its director of government affairs. Political reporters in New Jersey described him as a well-heeled LIUNA organizer, and the union's organizational strength was seen as a key part of his political base.

He also served in several appointed roles in Newark. He was a commissioner of the city's Alcohol Beverage Control Commission from 2007 to 2022, and a commissioner of the Newark Housing Authority from 2009 to 2022, where he served as chairman of the board.

Osborne first sought elected office in 2008, when he ran in a special election for the Central Ward council seat left vacant by the resignation of Councilwoman Dana Rone. He was backed by then Mayor Cory Booker, and his billboards highlighted the "O" in Osborne to tap into enthusiasm for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Charles Bell, backed by the North Ward Center, won the sixteen-candidate race by 788 votes.

In 2014 he ran for councilman-at-large on the ticket of mayoral candidate Ras Baraka. He finished fourth among sixteen candidates for four seats, winning a place on the council and edging out his own running mate, Patrick Council, by 666 votes. He was re-elected in 2018, finishing 6,608 votes ahead of his nearest competitor, former Councilwoman Bessie Walker, in a field of ten.

Ahead of the 2022 election Baraka chose Louise Rountree in his place for the 2022 at-large ticket. Osborne picked up nominating petitions in early 2022 but ultimately did not seek a third term, leaving the council in 2022 after eight years.

Osborne was the father of two children, Crystal Harvey and Eddie Dobson-Osborne Jr. In his later years he lived with Parkinson's disease. His family said that even as the illness progressed, he kept his strength, his humor and his spirit.

Eddie Osborne died on October 12, 2026, at the age of 63, after a long illness. His family announced his death on his Facebook page, saying: "It is with profound sorrow that we share the passing of our beloved father, the Honorable Eddie Osborne." They said he met Parkinson's disease "with resolve, grace, and unwavering dignity" and that the family was deeply grateful for every moment shared with him. InsiderNJ confirmed the death that afternoon and the New Jersey Globe published an obituary the same evening. The family said details of final arrangements would be shared later.

Osborne is remembered as a labor figure who carried the influence of the Laborers' union into Newark City Hall, and as a steady member of Mayor Ras Baraka's council team through two terms. His 2008 Central Ward race, run with the backing of Cory Booker in the year of Barack Obama's election, remains one of the more storied contests in recent Newark politics. Through his years on the Newark Housing Authority board he also had a long role in the city's public housing.